Honestly, the Yiga Clan in Tears of the Kingdom is a massive upgrade from their Breath of the Wild days. Back then, they were just annoying ninjas who popped up when you were trying to pick radishes. Now? They’ve basically industrialized the Depths. If you’re hunting for Yiga Clan hideouts TOTK, you’re not just looking for a single boss room anymore; you’re looking for a sprawling network of underground bases, secret surface branches, and a legitimate training facility that hands out one of the best items in the game.
Most players stumble upon their first hideout by accident. Maybe you saw a weirdly lit structure in the Depths or followed a trail of bananas. But there is a very specific method to the madness if you want to actually "complete" the Yiga side of the game.
Finding the Main Yiga Clan Hideout (Surface)
The "big" hideout is still in the same place it was in the last game: the Karusa Valley in the Gerudo Highlands. But there’s a catch. You can't just stroll in and start blowing things up. Well, you can, but the door will be locked tight.
To get inside the Yiga Clan hideouts TOTK main base, you need to look the part. You have to find three specific surface branches first to assemble the Yiga Armor set.
The Three Armor Branch Locations
- Akkala Ancient Tech Lab: This is way up in the northeast. You’ll find two Yiga members holding a tailor hostage. Beat them, and you get the Yiga Armor (the chest piece).
- Great Plateau: Remember the Old Man’s hut from the first game? It’s south of the Temple of Time ruins. Kick the Yiga out of there to claim the Yiga Mask.
- Maritta Branch: This one is tucked away in a cave at the southern base of Mount Drena (west of the Great Hyrule Forest). Look for the "frog eyes" inside the cave and use Ascend to find the hidden room with the Yiga Tights.
Once you have the full set, put it on. The guards at the Karusa Valley entrance will actually let you in. It’s kinda funny—they’re completely oblivious that you’re Link as long as you have the mask on.
The Depths: A Secret Industrial Empire
This is where the real meat of the content is. While the surface has a few branches, the Depths are crawling with Yiga bases. There are 34 of these locations scattered across the map.
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They usually look like small forts with spiked walls or electrified fences. Your goal in these Yiga Clan hideouts TOTK locations is always the same: find the Yiga member riding a vehicle (usually a hovercraft or a boat) with a glowing red seal on their back. Snipe them, and the seal on the nearby hut breaks.
Inside those huts, you’ll find two things:
- Yiga Schematics: These give you "Autobuild" blueprints for crazy contraptions like "Shock Traps" or "Land Mines."
- Large Crystallized Charges: Essential for upgrading your battery.
Basically, if you want to fly a giant bomber across Hyrule without your battery dying in ten seconds, you need to raid these hideouts.
Training for the Lightning Helm
The biggest reason to visit the main hideout in Karusa Valley is the training mini-game. Once you're inside (in disguise), head to the back where a Blademaster is standing on a pedestal.
He offers three tiers of trials. You have to defeat a certain number of Yiga footsoldiers within a time limit.
- Trial 1 (3 enemies): Rewards the Yiga Fabric for your paraglider.
- Trial 2 (6 enemies): Rewards the Earthwake Manual. This is a secret technique that lets you attack with a shockwave even when you don't have a weapon equipped. It's cool, though mostly for style points.
- Trial 3 (9 enemies): This is the big one. You get the Lightning Helm.
The Lightning Helm is a "repro" version of the Thunder Helm from the first game. It makes you completely immune to lightning. It’s a literal game-changer when you’re exploring the Faron region or fighting Gleeoks.
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Master Kohga’s Grand Tour
You can't talk about Yiga Clan hideouts TOTK without mentioning the man, the myth, the belly-flopping legend: Master Kohga.
His questline, "Master Kohga of the Yiga Clan," is a massive multi-part boss chase through the four main Abandoned Mines in the Depths. You'll find him at the Great Abandoned Central Mine first, then he moves to the Abandoned Gerudo Mine, the Abandoned Lanayru Mine, and finally the Abandoned Hebra Mine.
Each fight is a vehicle battle. He'll use planes, boats, and eventually a giant bipedal mech. Pro tip: Use Keese Eyes to auto-target him when he's flying around. It makes the fights significantly less frustrating.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
- Get the Armor First: Don't waste time trying to break into the main hideout. Hit Akkala, Great Plateau, and Maritta Branch immediately.
- Mark the Lightroots: Most Yiga hideouts in the Depths are located very close to Lightroots. If you see a cluster of structures on the map near a Lightroot, it’s probably a Yiga base.
- Upgrade Your Battery: Raiding the 34 Depths hideouts is the fastest way to get Large Crystallized Charges without grinding for Zonaite.
- Farm Bananas: Inside the main hideout, there’s a shop that sells Mighty Bananas in bulk. If you're running low on attack-up food, this is your one-stop shop.
The Yiga Clan might be a group of goofy cultists, but their gear is some of the most practical stuff Link can get his hands on. Go get that helmet.